Kefir Pancakes with Fresh Summer BerriesRecipe by Chef Heidi Fink

Directions

1. Berry Topping: Mix 2 tablespoons of the raspberries with the sugar in a serving bowl. Mash well with a fork, until you have a runny raspberry-sugar mixture. Add the 1 cup sliced strawberries and mix well. Set aside to allow the sugar to draw juices out of the berries. The remaining berries with be added later, just before serving.
2. Pancakes: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, the whole wheat flour, the sugar, the salt, baking powder and baking soda.
3. In a separate large bowl, beat the egg. Add the kefir and whisk well. Slowly whisk in the melted butter until evenly blended. Add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet ingredients and mix well. You can mix the wet and dry ingredients more thoroughly than regular pancake batter because the whole wheat flour will prevent the batter from getting gluey. The batter will be a bit thicker than regular pancake batter. Let the batter sit for at least 5 minutes before cooking (this allows the whole grain to absorb liquid).
4. Start heating two frying pans over medium-low heat.
5. Put 1 to 2 teaspoons of butter in each frying pan and let melt. Use a large spoon to drop or pour batter onto the heated pan, making the pancakes whatever size you like. The batter will seem quite thick when you look at it, but it should be aerated with lots of bubbles when you spoon it onto the pan.
6. When bubbles just begin to show on the surface, flip pancakes and cook on the other side for a minute or two (this is a bit earlier than you normally flip pancakes, but it essential to the fluffy end texture). TIP: Adjust the heat as you need to prevent the pancakes from burning or undercooking.
7. Meanwhile, add the remaining raspberries and the blueberries to the strawberry mixture in the bowl of berry topping. Mix well. Place this on the table along with any other toppings you like.
8. Serve cooked pancakes warm with fresh berry topping, maple syrup and butter.